The canals in the Vättlefjäll area

Several of the many lakes in the Vättlefjäll area is connected to each otjers by canals. This is true about the lakesystems of Surtesjön - Gäddevatten, Stora Stensjön and Skyrsjön ans Stora Kroksjön.
These canals are intensively used by canoes.

Also from Långemosse northeast of Surte a canal has been built to Svendammarna. This canal is so narrow and nowadays so chocked-up that not even canoes can use it.

Pictures of the canal between Gäddevatten and Stora Stensjön

History:
From Långemosse, in modern maps called Viksjön, Surte Glassworks built a canal, rather narrow, but about one and a half kilometer long to Svandammarna to get coolingwater for the production. The galssworks also had a turbine for powerproduction.
From Svandammarna the water was led in a tube of oak to the works. This tube is not in use any more.

Most of the lakes in the area had their outflow towards south and Lärjeån via Kroksjöarna. Surte Galssworks' demand for water was soo great that they asked for permission to turn the outlet of the lakes to be able to use the water. In 1949 a verdict in the water rights court gave them the right to do so and after that they blasted canals from Surtesjön and Gäddevattnet, between Gäddevattnet and Stora Stentjärnen and between Stora Kroksjön and Skyrsjön. These three lakesystems now is on the same level.
As the Surte Glassworks now have closed, the Gothenburg council want to turn the waterflow back to Lärjeån from all these lakes to use as water supply in case of emergancies. Gothenburg has asked the water rights court for a verdict in that direction, but I do not yet know what has happened in this case.

Sources:Gothenburg council, document 1998 nr 194, and Ingemar Nordlund, 2006
Do send comments or further information to: Bosse Arnholm!

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